The Premonition
by lokislollipop
Summary: 200 years prior to the events of Thor and The Avengers. Loki has been having some terrible nightmares in which him and Thor are on the battlefield, each time the nightmares end the same way. Could these be just dreams or is there something else? And who is that strange person he sees in his dreams? No romance, just so brotherly scenes between Thor and Loki.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! So this is my first fan fiction, I hope you all enjoy it! A few things before you dive in: this story is NOT romantic, so there will be some brotherly scenes between Thor and Loki, but nothing romantic. Also, I have set this story to 200 years prior to ****_Thor_**** and ****_The Avengers_**** because considering how old Thor and Loki must be, I believe this would be them in their young 20s approximately.**

**Enough blabbering, now please, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Thor and Loki are not my characters, they belong to Marvel Entertainment.**

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**200 years prior to the events in ****_Thor_**** and ****_The Avengers_****:**

**Loki POV**

"Thor!" The booming sound of the explosions around them muffled the sound of his voice to a mere whisper. "Thor! Thor behind you!" His voice finally seemed to reach its destination just on time as an axe flew inches away from Thor's right shoulder, followed by a hard blow on the attackers shoulder by Thor's hammer. "Thank you brother, you have my back, as always." Thor smiled with that broad smile characteristic of his as him pushed back another 10 enemies in one blow. But the difference was hardly noticeable. There were too many, and they were too few. Loki's side hurt from the sword that he had barely missed a few mere seconds ago. He had regretted his decision of coming to Vanaheim the second they arrived. His opinion had not changed. At this very moment they were surrounded by hundreds of rebels of various species and sizes. "You know we wouldn't be in this situation if you had listened to me from the start and we had simply talked things out, we have lost track of everyone else and Heimdall won't take us back if it means risking the entry of any of these to Asgard!" It was true, should the Bifrost open now, who knows what would happen. "You worry too much brother! This enemies are nothing to-" He was cut off. In fact, absolute silence reigned the battlefield for about a second, and then it was over. It was over very fast. Too fast. Before either of them could realize the spear had reached its destination and the battle was over. The cheers could have been heard miles away. Blood was covering the ground the two brothers stood on. Blood streaming from Thor's chest onto the cold, hard, stone ground. 'Thor? Thor! Thor look at me, stay with me!" He shook him with all the might he could master, but the body which had now been reduced to a cold collection of meat and bones remained unmoved. "Thor? Thor?! THOR!"

Sweat covered his usually cold body and his sheets were strangling around his body forming a strange, 6 foot sized cocoon. It was there again. The same dream Loki had been having for about a month now. The dream had been accompanied by a set of terrible headaches which only lasted for a few minutes but war very intense non the less. He had decided it would be wise not to tell Frigga about it, she would get unnecessarily worried about such small things. Still, Loki could not stop but wonder what it meant. Was it a vision? Frigga had told him about the nature of visions, and this seemed real enough to be one. Did this mean Thor was in danger? That seemed unlikely, though reckless he was, Loki knew few people who could take better care of themselves than Thor. He has a simple strategy: use his hammer to beat any potential enemy into the ground. Hammer first, ask questions later. Often ineffective, but it had kept Thor alive. Loki had nothing to worry about. Loki could write a book with the names of people who wanted to kill Thor, starting from rejected bar maids to members of rebel groups all over the nine realms, but none of them were strong enough to kill Thor, right?

The next morning Loki was tired. And by tired I mean the last thing he felt like was going with Thor and Volstagg to the training grounds. But what to do? Sometimes one had to put up with ones siblings. Thor was as energetic and well-spirited as ever, something Loki in his present state of mind found disgustingly unpleasant. Not wanting to cause a fight he returned his brother smile with as much energy and joy as he could conjure.

"I see you're as eager as always brother."

"And I see you have stayed up learning new tricks until late again, careful, wouldn't want you to fall asleep whilst fighting Volstagg. How about you show us some of your new tricks against him today? If you think you can manage, that is."

Loki did not know that his lack of sleep could be read so easily from his face, and though it was true, and though he had learned new spells in the last week, he did not feel like becoming Volstagg and Thor's laughing joke of the day.

"I don't believe I'm up for it today brother. Perhaps another time, I'll be more than satisfied by watching the two of you brawl things out on the training grounds."

They started walking towards said destination at an eased pace. Volstagg would be waiting for them there. Still, there was no hurry, and Loki was enjoying the view from the palace's main bridge. He had never quite stopped to admire the beauty of the sea that covered a great part of Asgard. It surprised him he never had.

"Always so reserved to yourself, you will never gain father's gratitude in battle like this Loki."

"I'm afraid I am not the most qualified person in leading armies and battling brutes, my skill sets lie elsewhere. I'd rather avoid conflict if necessary."

"I suppose not everyone is cut out to become a warrior. Alas, today you will have no choice. I signed you up for the tournament this afternoon."

"_What?_"

Loki had almost forgotten. The annual warriors tournament of Asgard. Warriors gathered from the Nine Realms and would battle each other in turns until only one remained. Thor was the current champion. As had he been for the past 50 years. Loki had seen it a few times but had never found it too interesting, and he of course had never participated.

"Why did you sign me up for that? You know I have no interest in participating, I am going to take myself out of the tournament right now."

"You can't. You can only do that a week before the tournament. It's too late. But please brother! This year is one of the few years father will come down especially to watch it, I know that you are strong and can beat all the participants in the blink of an eye, and I want to fight you in the final battle, I know father would love it."

Oh yes. Of course the All Father would love to see his favourite son humiliatingly beating his younger son in front of hundreds of people. Of course he would. And that was what was going to happen. As Thor had said, Loki was strong, and it was true that he could beat all the participating without even putting in any effort. But even though Loki had his pride, he had to admit that on an equal one on one with Thor, his chances of winning were slim.

"Then I won't go. You cannot force me to participate in this puerile contest of yours. I won't do it."

"Brother please! For our father's sake! Will he not be proud and happy to see his sons competing against each other? Mother will be there too."

Ah, his mother. The one person in the entire realm of Asgard Loki loved and treasured more than anything. She had taught him all the magic he knew and had never belittled him for using his senses and his intelligence instead of sheer muscle in battle. But it was still a bad idea. Loki knew he would lose, the embarrassment was something he could not take. Or would he? Now that he thought about it, he had learned some very tricky spells in the last few days, spells Thor could not see coming from miles away (thank goodness for his lack of interest). Perhaps Loki did have a chance of winning? Thor was physically stronger yes, but if Loki used his senses, he would be able to anticipate Thor's attacks and beat him... And if he did, Loki could finally get the recognition from his father that, he hated to admit, had always wanted.

"Fine. I suppose there is no going back. I'm only doing this to make sure you shut up about it and because mother will be there. Also, it might be a good chance to teach you a lesson about the fact that sheer brute strength isn't everything."

"Save your words for this afternoon Loki, we'll see if what you say is true."

Thor pushed a kind slap on Loki's shoulder and the two continued laughing and talking until they reached the training grounds where Volstagg awaited them.

It was a rare sight, seeing both brothers laughing in good humor. The day continued in its usual rhythm. Volstagg and Thor battled each other like brutes for what seemed like hours to Loki. He in turn practiced throwing his daggers. No one was better than him when it came to aim, he could hit the eye of an enemy target no matter the distance. Loki was not all about 'magic tricks' as people thought.

The day continued until the hour Loki dreaded came. At six he was expected in the arena (not only had Thor signed him in, but he was to be first). When he stepped into the ancient and traditional arena he saw a sight truly unknown to him. People, hundreds of people, say at different levels and cheered as he stepped up to face his enemy. Loki might not be the favorite prince to the people of Asgard but they surely would rather have him win than some warrior of another realm. Never before had Loki heard such cheering directed to him and he started to rejoice the fact that he had accepted to participate. In the centre of the spectators was a great balcony reserved for the royal family. And there they were. Odin, the All Father, mighty and potent as ever, and Frigga, his mother, her eyes full of love and joy, and what seemed like a tint of worry. Loki nodded in their direction. 'Mother I will be alright.' He intended to say with this. She nodded in return. Odin stepped up from his chair to initiate the games.

"It is my honor and joy to for the first time see both of my sons participating in these games. Which warriors will be brave enough to take them on I wonder? We shall see! Let the games begin!"

And thus it began.

As Loki had expected, his first foe was an easy victory. The man was about double his size and wielded an axe the size of a frost giant (how on earth did he lift it?). But what Loki realized as soon as the battle had begun was that he was stupid. And with stupid I don't mean foolish as his brother could often be, by stupid I mean Loki did not even find the need to use his magic to create an illusion to beet him. The battle was over in less than one minute.

The cheers when his enemy surrendered where breathtaking, so this is what it felt like to be the victor? The best? To be Thor?

Loki put his arm up in a sign of victory and left the arena to make place for the next contestants. Next was shogun against someone from his own realm, and after him two unknown warrior he did not know of. Then came Thor against some mercenary from Asgard. As expected, the battle lasted little, although it could've been even shorter if Thor had not decided to make a great show out of it. Loki could hear the cheers for his brother from the changing rooms. 'Thor! Thor! Thor!' it rang. Loki wandered if they would cheer in the same way if Loki were to beat Thor.

No time to think about that, he was up next. And this time, against Fandral. One of Thor's friends and a tremendous fighter. Loki had seen him in action and he was very good, but Loki knew he was better.

When the fight started Loki had to be at 100% from the start, he would better not underestimate Fandral. The warrior attacked him on his left and right side without stop and Loki only had his dagger to defend himself. It was more difficult than he'd hoped it to be.

"What is it, oh Prince Loki? Do you need to stop to catch your breath?"

Loki did not answer. He had the advantage. Fandral underestimated him. Bad idea.

Before the warrior could realize Loki had sent a blast of fire to his hand and his sword fell from the ground. Loki was not used to using fire magic, for some reason he always felt at unease when close to heat or fire, but he had little choice now. Also, it was quite flashy, and people seemed to like it.

"So you've decided to use your tricks now to fight me? Pick up a sword and fight like a man!"

"You mean your sword? Gladly, but then I feel you would be at too much of a disadvantage."

Loki threw Fandral's sword to him in a sign of mockery and the two kept exchanging blows. Eventually the winner was clear. Fandral's hand hurt too much after being hit by Loki's fire and the victor was decided. Loki had won. This time however, the cheers had decreased. It seemed that the ladies weren't too happy at seeing their knight in shining armor helpless on the ground.

The battles continued with Loki and Thor consecutively winning each of them, most of the combatants they faced were easy to defeat. Thor defeated the other of the warriors three and Sif, and eventually reached the finals. Loki had one more for to go before getting to the fight anticipated by everyone, him versus his brother. His penultimate foe stood before him and initially seemed like a small challenge, but ended up being more difficult to fight than Loki expected. The man was small and thin but incredibly fast and used long distance attacks to keep himself away from his enemy. Not a problem, Loki's daggers and magic could reach him with ease. The fighters were on equal ground and continuously dodged each other's attacks. There was cheering for both of them and Loki was close to gaining the upper hand when it happened. Loki had managed to get close enough to apply a blast of magic directly on to the fighter's chest when an intense pain like he had never felt before attacked his head. It was like the headaches he'd had the last few days but more intense and painful, he felt as if his head were to burst in two. The intense pain came accompanied by flashing images which were unfortunately all too familiar to Loki. Vanaheim. Enemies surrounding them. Thor blasting them away with his hammer. A spear through the dark. Thor on the ground. Blood. Lots of blood. And then something new. A woman. A woman so repelling in appearance Loki felt the pain in his head increase. Her head was covered but Loki could see her skin, or the places her skin had used to be. She looked at the scenario of Loki's dreams with a smile so wicked and disgusting it made Loki's inside revolt. The visions kept coming and Loki fell to his knees. He grabbed his head and tried to keep his consciousness from fading. He felt like he was dying. It literally felt like dying. He let out a scream of agonizing pain and heard a voice in the distance scream his name. That was the last thing he heard before being swallowed by the dark.

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**So, what do you believe has happened to Loki?**

**Please leave any reviews and comments! I would love some critical comments, as this is my first piece of writing I would like to know where I could improve!**

**I will upload a new chapter every week, I hope you liked this first chapter and look forward for more!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! So here is the second chapter, probably sooner than you expected! The thing is, this chapter is shorter than the previous one, and shorter than what I am used to writing, so I decided to publish it a bit earlier. **

**I just want to make clear than I'll generally publish one new chapter on Wednesdays, but sometimes it can be a bit earlier, I'll try my best not to make you all wait more than a week for a new chapter!**

**Story so far:**

**Loki has been haunted by terrifying nightmares which show his brother die in his arms during a battle in Vanaheim. In this last chapter Thor managed to convince Loki to participate in a tournament, where everything went fine and easy until Loki suddenly collapsed after feeling intense pain... What has happened to our young Prince of Asgard?**

**DISCLAIMER: Characters belong to Marvel Enterprises, not mine!**

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**Thor POV**

Thor watched the fight from the Royal Balcony, he longed for his fight with Loki in a way in which he hadn't longed for something in a long time. He had seen his brother fight in battle hundreds of times, yes, but never had he been able to fight him one-on-one before, not since they were children at least. For Thor fighting with someone was a way of bonding, and bonding with his little brother meant everything to the God of Thunder. Thor had been worried about Loki lately, he did not seem himself, he seemed troubled, more troubled than usual. Nobody knew Loki better than Thor, and even though he tried hard, he could not hide from Thor that something was wrong with him.

That is why when Loki was about to deliver the finishing blow to his opponent and he stopped midway, Thor immediately knew something was wrong. To most people that first instance must have seemed like a mistake on Loki's part. But he knew.

"Something's wrong."

Now nobody was listening to him anymore, his father and mother watched Loki with grave faces. He had collapsed on his knees and was screaming in agony. It did not take a moment for Thor to start moving, and before he knew it he was less than 5 meters away from his younger brother.

"Loki! Loki! LOKI!"

He grabbed his brother and held him in his arms, but his consciousness was already gone.

"Cease this fight at once! Call the guards; get Loki to the palace immediately!"

The All Father relayed his orders to the guards, people started dissipating from the arena and a group of the medical squad was running towards Thor and Loki. But all this only happened on a second plane on Thor's mind, he was too focused with what was in front of him. His brother had suddenly collapsed without any previous warning, except for the scream he let out. Had it been an overuse in magic? No, he had seen Loki use magic for longer periods of time against more dangerous foes and he had been fine. A spell used by the other participant? Unlikely, he did not seem like the sorcerer-type, and the expression on his face contained as much confusion as that of himself. Even if he had used magic, Thor doubted it would have been strong enough to defeat Loki in this way. What on earth had happened?

Before Thor had time to think further the guards reached them and asked him to move away so they could transport Loki. They took the young prince towards the palace as fast as they could; the last thing they wanted was to cause unnecessary panic amongst the people. And just like that, Loki was gone.

Thor was still waiting outside of the healing room when Eir, the main physician of the palace, came out after what seemed like days to him.

"How is he? Has he awoken yet? What is his condition?"

"My Prince, please do not be alarmed. Prince Loki's condition is stable, however he has not woken up yet. You may go see him but do not disturb him and do not try to wake him up, it will be better for him to rest for now."

"I understand. But do you know what is wrong with him? Is it some kind of disease, a poison, did someone do this to him?"

"I do not know my prince. His condition is a strange one. It seems like a normal fever at times, but then there are fluctuations in his temperature. To be honest, I have never seen anything like this. If it is a disease it is unlikely to be contagious, and I have never heard of a poison capable of doing this. All we can do for now is wait. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go report Loki's situation to the All Father and the Queen. My Prince."

Eir bowed once and left. Thor felt uncomfortably worried. Loki and him and been wounded before, and it wasn't the first time Thor saw Loki in a diseased situation. But this time an eerie feeling crept on his spine. Like a sixth sense trying to warn him of what was to come. This feeling was something Thor had not experienced since he was a young boy. It was _fear_. A feeling of being powerless. A feeling of anger. Angre because there was nothing he could do. He was Thor, the mighty God of Thunder, there was no enemy he could not defeat. And now his brother was lying there, victim of some remote power, and Thor could do _nothing_. Had an enemy attacked him then Thor could take his revenge on him, he could hurt him, he could make him pay. But he could not protect his brother from what he did not know. And this was what it was. Fear of the unknown.

Thor walked into the healing room and found his brother on a bed, his face peaceful as if he were in a deep sleep. He stood there for a while until he noticed steps approaching and saw his mother walk in at a hurried pace, quickly kneeling beside Loki's bed, followed by his father. Odin put a hand on Thor's shoulder and looked at Loki with an expression not at all fitting that of the All Father. An expression of sincere love and worry.

"Father, mother, is there anything I can do? Is there anything we know about Loki's condition?"

"I'm afraid it is up to fate my son. As Eir said, there is nothing we can do now but wait." The All Father pressed another comforting grip on Thor's shoulder before walking out of the healing room. Thor was left alone with Frigga, who seemed the most distressed of all. She looked at Thor and tried to master a consoling smile.

"This reminds me of that one time when you were children. I remember Loki fell ill to a fever and had to remain in bed for days. You didn't leave his side for one second, do you remember that?"

"I do." Thor recalled the vague memory. Days on end he had watched over Loki's sleep and read him tales of old, never before and never again had he felt so responsible over someone. "I remember you having to bring me food to Loki's room because I refused to leave. I can assure you not much will change this time. I don't intend to leave him until he wakes up mother."

"I knew you would say that. Oh Thor, sometimes I wonder what the two of you would do without each other. Don't ever change my love." She lovingly stroked his cheek and then left the room as well. If she had stayed at the door for another few hours Thor would have not been aware of it. His thoughts were somewhere else now.

A vague memory of those long past days came to his mind.

When Thor and Loki were only young children Thor used to often get into fights with children their age, because of trivial things, like all boys do. Whenever this happened Odin would scold him for days. Often a group of boys, known for picking fights with the Asgardian prince would pester Loki. They used the typical insults Loki was more than used to, calling him a coward, a freak for using magic, a bookworm. Not very original insults. Loki would never react to their provocations, but Thor would not allow them to insult his kin and would jump whenever they came close to his brother. One day it got so bad that Odin strictly prohibited both Thor and Loki from ever getting into a fight with them again. Not long after that the boys cornered Loki when he had gone of to read on his own and began to beat him and insult him for fun. Loki did not fight back, not even once. When Thor went out looking for him and saw the scenario he attacked the boys with the ferocity of a wild beast. But despite Thor's strength, the boys outnumbered him, however before the first blow fell on Thor, Loki attacked back using his magic for the first time. He sent one of them flying two meters away. Thor had been taken aback by this, if he had been able to beat them all along, why hadn't he? Thor and Loki ended victorious and the boys ran away, never bothering the brothers again. It was the first time they fought together to defeat a common enemy. Thor had always remembered this day as the first time he felt truly close to his brother. It also reminded him of how much his brother had changed over the years, when he asked Loki why he hadn't fought back all this time, he simply replied with:

"Because father had ordered us not to."

Thor continued to sail in the nostalgia of childhood memories for many long hours until, before he realized, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

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**Again, sorry for the short chapter, it's just that this 'part' of our story had not much more to tell about it, I promise next chapter will be longer!**

**I want to thank everyone that gave my previous chapter such positive reviews! Thank you Liana Legaspi for pointing out the thing about the paragraphs! Truth is, I hadn't realized that in the first chapter, from now on they are better divided :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here is the next chapter! Please don't forget to post a review if you'd be so kind. This chapter is longer than the previous one, as promised!**

**Please enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Characters are not mine, they belong to Marvel.**

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**Loki POV**

"Thor! Thor look at me! Stay with me!" How could this have happened? How was any of this possible? How had he not seen it coming? How had he not protected him? The crimson coloured liquid gushed rapidly out of Thor's wound while Loki tried to keep him in a steady position. He needed to get Thor out of there, they were still surrounded by enemies, the place was not safe. He looked around for a chance to escape, any small gap in the crown of monsters that surrounded them. And that is when he saw her again. The Woman. The same woman he had seen before. So repulsive yet so fascinating at the same time. He looked into the only eye that was visible under her cape and was soon taken in by a sort of trance he could not escape from. He was no longer in the battlefield, Thor was no longer there, no one was there for that matter. Nothing. Absolute emptiness. That was the only presence. Loki swam in this blackness for what seemed like an eternity. Was this his dream? Had the scene from before been his dream? Or had it been real? He no longer knew. But if it had truly happened, than where was he now? Was he dead? Yes, that was most likely it. He had failed to protect his brother and had shared his fate. So this was what it felt like, death. Somehow he had expected it to be different, he had expected more pain, some sort of judgement. Would he be going to Hel or to Valhalla? Was this simply the dimension between the worlds? How much longer did he have to wait?

He felt a presence approaching, menacing and dangerous but at the same desirable and covetable. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, yet no sound came out, he tried to move but he couldn't. 'Who are you and what do you want?' was what he wanted to say, but could only think. Yet a reply came all the same, and Loki did not know if what he heard was in his mind or was truly being spoken to him.

"My name is Skuld and I am not a foe, as to where we are, we are in your mind my Prince Loki, and believe me when I say it has taken me a long time to be able to communicate with you like this. But perhaps it would be better to move to a scene you are more familiar with, shall we?"

As soon as the voice had said this Loki found himself in the gardens of Asgard on one of the most beautiful days the realm had seen. He turned around and saw Her again, the same woman from his dreams, the same terrifying and fascinating woman whom he assumed was Skuld.

"How are you doing this?" Loki realized he could now speak and move freely. "How did you get us to Asgard?"

"Well my Prince, we are not actually in Asgard." She signalled for him to look ahead and there Loki saw a much younger version of himself and Thor, playing together in the grass. Further ahead he saw his mother and father smiling warmly at the sight before them.

"I remember this. This is one of my memories. What is the meaning of this?!"

"I simply thought that by taking one of your warmest memories as a scene to talk in would make you feel more comfortable. If not we can go back to the darkness of your unconsciousness, it will be all the same to me."

A silence followed.

"Who _are_ you?"

"I have already told you, my name is Sk-"

"No. I mean who _are_ you, or _what_ are you? Your name is of no interest to me. How are you doing this? What where you doing on that battlefield? What was that scene, what happened to Thor? Are you the one causing these dreams and headaches?"

Skuld remained in silence for a few seconds and during that time Loki was able to realize that a greater part of Skuld's face was visible, although her mouth and nose was still covered, Loki was able to see both her eyes. The part of her face Loki could see had been intensely burned, and it seemed as if her skin was in a constant state of decay. Despite this Loki realized that before she became this way she must have been a sight beautiful to behold.

"Ah my Prince… So many questions and so little time. It would be better if it were possible for me to speak to you directly and in private. I can answer one thing though, I was never present in the battle of Vanaheim."

"You are speaking to me directly and in private! We are in my mind, are we not? And what do you mean you were not there, I saw you!"

"That is the problem. We can never know who is watching. Listen to me my Prince, I have little time left, the scene which you saw in your dreams is real, it just has yet to happen, the fact that you saw me there worries me. I will contact you as soon as I can. For now I can only tell you this: do not leave Asgard in the coming few months no matter what happens. Goodbye."

As soon as Skuld said this she started fading, like one of the illusions Loki so much enjoyed making.

"Wait! You can't just leave? Are you telling me it was a vision? Skuld!"

But she was gone, and before Loki had time to think about what had just happened, the familiar darkness of unconsciousness absorbed him.

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People that survive a near-death situation often say that when they were engulfed by the darkness they saw a 'light at the end of the tunnel'. This in fact is nothing more than your mind slowly reacting to the presence of the light of a new day. And this was the same thing that Loki experienced after being unconscious for nearly two days after the tournament.

He felt his body lying on a comfortable warm bed, his own he soon noticed, with his head resting on at least two pillows and he was wearing his usual night garb. He was awake but did not feel like opening his eyes yet, he was yet too weary. Instead he tried to recall everything that had happened during his conversation with Skuld. But it was futile. He felt incredibly tired. The young prince heard a shuffling noise next to him and gathered as much strength as he could to slightly open his eyes. On his right side, sitting on a chair with his head hanging limply against his shoulder, slept his brother Thor. Loki felt a sense of ease and comfort that allowed him to fall asleep again, this time without seeing any more strange dreams.

A few hours later Loki woke up again, this time much stronger and less weary than before, but incredibly thirsty. He was able to move his arms and let out a soft groan, loud enough to catch Thor's attention, who was still sitting in the same place, awake this time.

"Loki? Loki can you hear me? Are you awake?"

Loki heard Thor's worried voice but could only muster out another soft groan before speaking one word:

"Wa- Water…"

Immediately Thor reached for a glass and filled it with water. He reached for Loki and sat him straight up on his bed. Thor handed the glass to his brother, who drank it in big gulps before finishing it and asking for more. When he had finally eased his thirst he fully opened his eyes and took his environment in.

"Thor… Where am I, no, I know where I am. What happened?" He remembered the dream and conversation he'd had with Skuld, but did not remember how he ended up in an unconscious state.

"Don't you remember? You were fighting in the tournament, your last battle before reaching the final and fighting me, when all of a sudden you started screaming in agony and collapsed. Do you remember?"

"Ah… yes, the tournament. I remember. I… I don't understand. All of a sudden my head started feeling like it was being ripped apart." The headaches always followed one of his nightmares, but this time the headache preceded it, and it was more intense than ever. Then again, the dream was something completely different this time, more intense. This time it had been _direct contact_. Had Skuld caused this to be able to speak with him?

"How long was I gone?"

"For nearly two days, I'm glad you've awoken at last, but you should rest, try to sleep."

"Thor, as you have said, I have 'rested' for nearly two days, I am fine, I want to get out of this bed as soon as possible."

Thor grinned from ear to ear, glad at hearing his brother was in good health.

"As you say brother, just take it with ease, I will go tell father and mother now that you have awoken." Thor said as he stood up from his chair and walked out of the room in a confident stroll, characteristic of his, leaving Loki alone with his still troubled thoughts.

He did not get much time to ponder over Skuld and her visit to his mind, for he was soon joined again by Thor, Frigga and Odin. The first to enter the room rapidly was Frigga.

"Oh Loki! You had us so worried, how are you feeling? Are you well? Is there anything that I can bring you?"

Frigga had the tendency to over-exaggerate any accident that ever happened to her sons, even though that was a frequent thing, but right now Loki did not mind some worried motherly love. It helped him get his mind off of darker and more worrying thoughts.

"I am alright mother. I would like to get out of this room as soon as possible, I can feel I have been lying down for too long."

"Are you sure? There is no need to rush, it would be better for you to rest a bit longer, what if you collapse again?"

"Mother, I swear, I'm-"

"It is as he says Frigga my love, our son seems to be all right, the colour has returned to his face and I believe it would be good for him to go back to his normal routine as soon as possible." Odin had spoken for the first time since he came into the room and looked glad to see his son back on his feet. Loki would remember this day as one of the few days the All Father was like a real father to him.

"Although, first I would like a specialist to look at you. We still do not know what caused you to be in this state, if it were some form of disease it would be best to know what we are dealing with. Even if it isn't, I would like to know exactly _what_ happened to you Loki, is there anything you can tell us?"

Loki knew he was not sick, and yes, he did know part of the reason as to why he had been left in that state, but would it truly be wise to tell Odin? Loki doubted Odin would take him seriously and would believe it to be a dream only.

"I don't know. I just remember feeling an intense pain in my head and then everything turned black. I don't know why this has happened." Loki was not lying, although he had kept some facts hidden from them, it was true he had no idea why this was happening to him. Why. Why him out of all people? Wouldn't it have been wiser for Skuld to have contacted Odin and told him about Thor's imminent danger?

"Well, as I've said, the best thing would be for a specialist to look at you."

"A specialist? A specialist in _what_? None of our healers had any idea what was wrong, we asked every single person in Asgard and no one had any idea. What specialist could you possibly be speaking of father?"

Thor had a point, what could a 'specialist' possibly tell Loki that would make his situation any clearer? The only person that knew anything, Loki did not know how to contact, and he doubted anyone would be able to tell him what Skuld wanted and why she had contacted him in the first place.

"A specialist. That is all you need to know. She is not from Asgard, but came to our realm when she heard the news of Loki's incident, she has told me she would be able to tell us more on Loki's situation, and by what she has shown me, she seems trustworthy."

"What did she show you father, we should not trust anybody who-"

"Are you saying my judgement was wrong?!" Thor was cut off by the All Father's booming voice. He was their king, and he did not like it when they seemed to forget that.

"In any case, enough talk, it seems like she is already here."

The moment she started coming through the door Loki felt an icy feeling crawling on his back. It felt as if the temperature of the entire room had dropped by half. The same feeling he'd had seconds before Thor fell lifeless to the ground in his dream. The feeling of a bad premonition showing its face.

It seemed like a century passed until the woman had fully entered the room. First thin arms covered in black cloth. Then long legs covered by a silk purple dress. Then her full body was in the room. Dressed as the priestesses of old, her entire body covered in silk garments. And then he saw her face, the same face he had seen only a few hours before in his mind. It was Her.

"Hello, my Prince Loki." Skuld said in a calm tone. Like the calm that comes before the storm.

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**So there we go, Loki and Skuld finally meet! Next chapter some secrets will be revealed, so please look forward to that!**

**On that note, see you all next week!**

**- Jay**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the late update! Here is Chapter 4, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: None of the characters are mine, they all belong to Marvel Entertainment.**

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**Loki POV**

Loki was petrified to the bed. A feeling of anxiety that possessed every single fibre of his being, refused any movement of his muscles. He wanted to say something, he had so many questions, every single thing that had happened to him in the past two days was still unresolved, and now She appeared in his room? Why?

"Hello, my Prince Loki."

"Let me introduce you. This is Thor, the Crown Prince of Asgard, and this the Queen of Asgard, Frigga. And as you have already noticed, the young man on the bed is Loki, I hope you can make his condition clearer in our eyes, Skuld."

"It is an honour to be of service to the Royal Family of Asgard, I truly hope I can be of help…"

Skuld continued with the formalities when Loki realized something. How come his parents and brother had said nothing about her appearance? She was no longer covering her face and her mouth was fully visible. It was badly damaged and part of her lower jaw was fully visible. Her appearance resembled that of one of the witches from the stories Frigga would read to Thor and him when they were younger. The All Father was no idiot, he was one of the wisest men Loki knew, surely he would not have called upon such a suspicious looking creature?

_My true appearance is hidden from all but you my Prince, I cannot veil myself from your keen eyes._

Skuld spoke to Loki in his mind without interrupting her speech to the All Father, she did not even motion an eye in Loki's direction. But he intently looked at her without break until he eventually captured her gaze.

_So you can read all my thoughts I see. Then let me ask you, who are you and why are you here?_

"Loki, don't be rude, introduce yourself, this healer has come from far distances just for your sake."

"Forgive me mother, it seems I am wearier than I thought myself to be." Loki lied, "My name is Loki Odinson, second Prince of Asgard, I thank you for coming a long way to look at my condition."

"As I have said, it is an honour."

Skuld smiled and it was one of those smiles that stay in your memory forever. Despite half her bottom jaw being exposed, her teeth were in perfect shape, and Loki had only once seen a smile as perfect as that one before, that of his beloved mother Frigga.

"Do you believe Loki is sick? Or was this done by some poison. Even though he feels better now, do you believe there is a possibility he will get worse again?"

"My Prince Thor, that is something I do not know yet, I need time to look at what exactly has happened. For this reason I would like to speak to Loki alone, if he allows me to."

Loki made eye contact with his mother and nodded in agreement. He was not afraid of her. He had regained his strength. If she was an ally there was nothing to fear, and if she was an enemy she could not disappear as she had done previously in his dream, he would get the answers he wanted from her, he would get them all.

"In that case I beg of you to leave me alone with Prince Loki. The sooner I can get to work, the sooner I can find out what the matter at hand is."

"Of course, well, we leave him in you hands." The All Father left the room, followed by Frigga and Thor, who before leaving sent a reassuring smile in his younger brother's direction.

An awkward silence followed after they had taken their leave and Loki wondered how he would play his cards. He needed answers, but did not wish to cause an unnecessary conflict. Before he could get to the real questions he first needed to know if Skuld was an ally, or an enemy.

"Well, alone at last. I hope this is a 'private' enough environment for us to converse."

"I am deeply sorry I've come without any further warning, but my time in our last meeting was limited. I know you must have many questions, and I can tell you I am here to answer every single one of them."

"Then I'll begin with the more basic ones, first of all, what did you mean when you said your true appearance could not be kept from me?"

"Well I thought that would be an obvious matter, it is a simple trick, one you yourself often use. I simply created an illusion so my appearance would seem more trustworthy to them. I would like to say looks don't matter, but we both know that not to be true."

Fair enough, an illusion. This explained the All Father's quick trust in her, but why had she not hidden her appearance from him? Was her magic not strong enough to hide from a sorcerer like himself, or did she simply want him to believe that he was stronger than her? Loki decided to keep his suspicions to himself.

_If you're wondering why I showed you my true face I must say I lied a few minutes ago. I could have tricked you as well, but decided not to do so, I want you to trust me as I am._

Skuld again read Loki's thoughts and it made Loki realized that in this space right now he was so close to her she could access his mind with ease. He had to be very, very careful.

"If you want my trust, start by refraining yourself from invading my personal thoughts. Do it again and I will send you out of this palace."

"Do as you wish my Prince, I have come here for your benefit, not mine. If you do not wish to hear the news I bring then I shall take my leave immediately."

"Who do you think you are?! You invade my mind and my dreams, leave me unconscious for two days, and now come into this Palace behaving like a superior being claiming that _I_ need _your_ help! I do not want your help! I want answers to my questions, and I will force them out of you if I have to!"

Damn. That was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. His hot-blooded feelings to get the better of him. In comparison to Thor he was usually the calm and reversed one, preferring to solve things diplomatically rather than by using his brute force from the beginning. But apparently, he had his limits. No. Rather than limits he had his _pride_. And that pride had gotten the better of him, he hated to admit it, but he did need Skuld, he needed her to explain what she had shown him. Even if she did disappear now and forever, Loki would never be able to sleep again without knowing if what he had seen was true or not.

Before Skuld managed to react to Loki's harsh words he already spoke.

"Wait. I'm sorry, please do forgive my rash behaviour. It has been a confusing and stressful week. Please bear with the questions I have for you."

Skuld smiled with gentleness at Loki's words.

"No need for forgiveness, it is I who must apologize for the vague signs I have given thus far, but all is well now that we can finally speak undisturbed."

"In that case I see not why wait any longer. You know what I want to know, what is the reason behind those visions you have shown me lately, what is your intention?"

"Very well, the story is a long one so please listen carefully. I am, as you probably already noticed yourself, a sorcerer. I can perform many types of different magic, including the creation of illusions, as you have seen a few minutes ago. With all due respect to your abilities my Prince, I must say that I am stronger than you."

Loki felt his face turning red, not in anger, but in a form of embarrassment. He was not even sure why. She was stronger than him, he could feel it, but he hated to admit to himself that someone was better at magic than he was. Magic was _his_ skill, he had worked for so long to be strong, to be at an equal level with Thor, now someone appeared, out of the blue, claiming she was stronger than him. And she was right to claim that.

"But there is one other… call it 'skill' I possess. It is a most unusual ability and I have stayed in hiding for a large part of my life because of it. I have the gift of foresight."

Now _that_ was something unusual. Loki had heard of foretellers before, and he knew that there were 'oracles' to which one could go to have their future foretold, but most of these oracles everyone knew were nonsense. This was the first time he personally met someone with that gift, still, he remained sceptical.

"You are telling me that you can see into the future? Is that what those dreams were about? Is that going to happen?"

"Patience my prince. As I was saying, I possess the gift of foresight. Since as long as I can remember I have had dreams showing me what was going to happen in the future. When I began having these visions they were usually trivial things, such as crossing someone on my way to the market, but as I trained in magic my ability to foretell the future became increasingly more detailed. I started foreseeing accidents, storms, battles… Things that only happened months after I had seen them. It was a curse."

"A curse? More like a gift in my eyes, what I could do with that power running through my veins…"

"You don't understand. I could not control it, I still can't. I see images of people that I do not even know _dying_ in front of my eyes, and I do not know how to warn them. This time however, it was different. This time I did know who to warn."

Skuld's attitude had changed from the well-behaved, mysterious priestess to that of a scared, hurt young woman. Her eyes had a severe look on them when she continued speaking.

"Loki," She spoke his name directly. "it is of utter importance that you listen to me very carefully now. A few weeks ago I had a dream in which I saw you and your brother Thor battle on the realm of Vanaheim against a full battalion of Marauders."

"That is the dream I have been having."

"Indeed, and as you unfortunately also experienced, your brother dies in that battle. I do not know by whose hand, but he dies. I have seen many version of the same dream, all with the same result. No matter what paths you and your brother take, if you go to Vanaheim he will inevitably die."

"That… that is not possible! Lies! Lies is all you have fed me these past few weeks! Thor would never fall to such meager enemies as the Marauders!"

"Please listen! My visions have _never_ been wrong thus far! Never! They often are not clear representations, but they always come to happen! I know of your brother's strength, yet I also know that if he goes to Vanaheim he _will_ die! As soon as I had the vision I recognized the God of Thunder, and assumed you were his brother. I had heard rumours of the sorcerer Prince of Asgard, and I knew my bond to you would be strong. To be honest, it was hard to make contact with you as first, but as fellow magicians our minds connect with more ease. When I located your mind I tried to show you the same things I had seen, I tried to warn you, but seeing as not enough information could get through, and fearing the date of the wrecked event would soon be upon us, I decided the best thing I could do was make direct contact with you. The last dream you had was of such intensity because I was already in this realm, making the connection easier. The headaches you felt were a result of the magic residue I left every time I tried to contact you. I am sorry it left you in the state it did, it was never my intention to hurt you."

So that was it? The answer to the mystery his life had been engulfed in the past few weeks? If Thor went to Vanaheim, he would die, no matter what. Those were the facts. What was Loki supposed to do now? Now that he had this information, this certain truth, he somehow felt it had become an inevitable event.

"So the only way to prevent this from happening is by keeping Thor from going to Vanaheim?"

"Indeed."

"But how? You do not know the date of this event, am I correct? Am I supposed to keep Thor from _ever_ going to Vanaheim?!"

"I'm very sorry… I can help you no further with that. But there is one thing that _I_ would like to ask _you_. You said in our previous meeting that you saw me in the battle of Vanaheim, is that true?"

Loki had completely forgotten about that detail. With all the information he had received and the fuss of the last few hours, he had completely forgotten about it.

"Yes… That is true, I saw you standing there! You seemed to rejoice at the sight of Thor dying! What was the meaning of that?"

"Please calm down, as I believe I said last time we met, that was not me. I cannot insert my own creations into the visions I have, nor can I create or show you anything that is false. I can assure you that in the dream I had I was not on the battlefield. It is not possible for you to have seen me. Unless… No, but that is a truly inconceivable thought…"

Skuld seemed to be talking to herself now. She had stopped paying attention to Loki and continued to mumble her thoughts to herself, but Loki was no fool and knew there was something important he was not telling him.

"Unless what? What is it that you're not telling me?"

"It is… Nothing. Nothing you should worry about, there is just something I need to look into. You will hear from me soon."

Skuld was making her way to the exit of Loki's room when he stopped her.

"Wait, do you plan to simply leave like that? Without giving me any further explanation?"

"Well…" Skuld paused for a moment, she seemed startled at the fact that Loki had even stopped her, what else was there to do for her here?

"Naturally, is there anything else I need to tell you? I have given you the answers you were seeking, I have warned you against going to Vanaheim, there is nothing more for me to do here. I will tell the All Father that you had only a strange form of fever and that you will be fine from now on, this way we can be sure to avoid suspicions from your family. I assume you don't want them to know of our encounter?"

"No… That would not be wise. The All Father would never believe neither you nor me, and to prove it the first thing he would do would be to send Thor to Vanaheim."

A slightly awkward silence followed, were they simply t part like this?

"Before you leave, you said I would hear from you? Why, for what reason?"

"… Nothing, just in case I have another vision. I shall take my leave now my Prince, I wish you the best. And do not give me such a confused look, I have given you the full truth."

Skuld turned one more time to Loki before exiting through the door. Once she was gone Loki thought of her last words and spoke up, to himself more than to anyone else.

"Not the _full_ truth."

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**Dun, dun, DUN! So here we have the (partial) truth of what's happening, as Loki so nicely expressed. Next week it might take me a bit longer to update (I have approximately 93451268 essays I have to hand in, God have mercy), but I think it'll be fine :)**

**Please look forward to the next chapter!**

**- Jay.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the week delay! Here is the new chapter, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: all characters belong to Marvel.**

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**Thor POV**

It had been five days since Loki woke up from his bizarre state of unconsciousness, and everything in the Palace seemed to be back to the way it was. The healer Skuld, who had arrived at the palace without any form of warning, had left just as fast. After spending a few minutes alone with Loki she had come to the conclusion he had simply caught on to a rare fever that had been enhanced by the presence of his magic. Apparently, people with the ability to do magic were sometimes more vulnerable in the face of certain diseases, and more immune in the face of others. She had told the All Father that there was nothing for them to fear, the disease was not contagious nor was it lethal. Loki had been unconscious for such a long period of time because the magic in his body had, as a natural precaution, simply rendered him that way to protect him from any other possible symptoms. Now that he had woken up it meant the disease had left his body and he was well again.

So, all was well. Life had returned to normal. The Princes of Asgard could return to their normal routine, nothing was wrong. Everything was the same as before. There was no more worry in anyone's mind, or was there?

Thor wanted everything to be the way it was, he wanted to train with the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, he wanted to return to his daily routine, but a grey cloud occupied the young god's mind. Thor was worried, not for him, but for his brother. He had noticed his brother's absence lately, which was greater than usual. He would never join his friends and himself for training and spent hours locked up in his study. Before the incident that occurred last week Thor had already noticed Loki was worried about something, but now he saw in his brother's face that whatever bothered him had only worsened. It was true Loki never liked enjoyed battling with Thor and his companions, but in these five days the younger prince had literally not shown his face in front of Thor except for at dinners or other cordial reunions.

Whenever Thor invited his brother to come along with him _somewhere_, _anywhere_, anywhere away from Loki's books, he would always reply in the same way:

"I am busy, there are things that I have to do, find someone else to wrestle with."

The cold way in which his brother behaved towards him was hurtful. Had he done something wrong? Had he done something insulting to Loki? Should he apologize, but for what? Perhaps Loki was mad at Thor for getting him into the tournament. Truth be told, talk had been going around Asgard about Loki. His sudden collapse in the middle of the fight had certainly not boosted his popularity amongst the people. Loki had always had an infamous image compared to that of Thor. The people would often see him as weak, strange, different. Thor had seen the surprise in the people's eyes when Loki beat one foe after another, his brother was not as weak as people had thought him to be.

But, his sudden collapse had signalled the end of the tournament, the rest of the festivities were all cancelled and the people of Asgard did not see their crown prince or the King for the rest of the week. On purpose or on accident, people had blamed the turn of events on Loki. According to what was being said, his weakness had caused him to collapse, his weakness had caused the tournament to be cancelled. That little spark of enthusiasm they'd had for Loki during the tournament had vanished, without leaving any prove it had ever existed.

Thor feared his brother blamed him for the public opinion that had now been formed of him. If only the matter were that simple… Much more troubling thoughts occupied Loki's mind, which Thor knew nothing about…

At one point Thor got tired. He loved his brother and was willing to help him in any way he could, but he had his limit. To be honest, at this point in his life, before he learned the lessons of life and the true morals he would later carry his whole life, Thor was a short-tempered, impatient boy. And he had grown tired of Loki's evasion. So one day, he decided to simply confront him about it.

"Loki we need to talk."

Loki looked up from the book he was reading and looked at Thor with judgemental eyes. They were in a library, where one was supposed to be quiet. Thor had walked in with a loud air and had managed to get all the eyes in the library focused on him.

"I'm sure we do, but could you please be quiet? I am trying to concentrate here."

"That is exactly what we need to talk about. This evasion. What has been occupying your mind of late? You won't look behind your books and studies, and you've been avoiding me ever since you woke up! What is the matter? I know I should apologize for ever getting you into that tournament, and I know what the people have been saying but please brother, stop this."

Loki gave Thor an incredulous look, and when Thor expected him to apologize, or get angry with him for screaming in the middle of the library, he started laughing. A sincere, uncontrolled laughter.

"Is that what you believe brother? Well, I must say I did not expect you to say that. Does you truly believe I care about anything those 'peasants' say about me? Please. I have more important things to care about. Let's go outside. I don't want to have this conversation here."

Thor felt the anger boil up inside him. He _hated_ it when his brother referred to his people as 'peasants' or called them by any other derogatory name. What made him believe he was so above everyone else? Loki also did not seem to be bothered by Thor's inquiry at all, and for some reason, this irked Thor more than he cared to admit.

He followed Loki down the hallways to the external court of the palace, at this moment of the day occupied only by a few ladies of court and some servants making repairs to the gardens.

"Well then. Speak at once. I have better things to do with my time."

Thor mentally counted to ten, trying to keep the anger boiling up inside of him under control. He needed to have patience.

"Loki please, I am asking you this as your _brother_, as your _friend_. I have noticed you absence lately, do you believe I can't see that there is something troubling you? I can see past your façade. Please brother, if there is something bothering you, share it with me."

There was a silence. Loki fiddled with his fingers and impatiently moved from one side to the other, he seemed to be trying to make up his mind on what to reply. Eventually he did.

"I do not know what you are talking about. I'm fine. And I can assure you I couldn't care less about what the people of Asgard think of me. And if you're worried I spend too much time learning, I can tell you this is simply due to the fact that I actually _enjoy_ learning, and magic needs polishing. Don't you spend hours on end training with your warriors?"

"Yes but brother, this is not healthy anymore, I haven't seen joy on your face for days! What could possibly be so important that you can not even spend some time with your brother and your friends?"

"Oh yes, _friends_, of course." Loki said in a low, almost inaudible voice.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." Thor was about to continue when he was interrupted by Loki.

"Look Thor, I appreciate your worry. I really do. But honestly, if there is anything I need, I'll ask. I can take care of myself, and there are just things I have to do."

Before Thor could say anything back, Loki was already heading back inside, and then he was gone. Thor had heard the sincerity in Loki's voice, and despite him knowing Loki would rather bath in hot oil than ask Thor for help, he decided to leave it as it was. He knew that insisting on the matter would only bring them to an argument which would most likely escalate to a fight which would than mean they would not talk to each other, at all, for days. Because if there was one thing the two brothers had in common, if there was one thing that was the same, it was the fact that they were both stubborn beyond imagination. There was no possible situation in which either of them would back down.

And thus, with a great weight still pressing on his heart, Thor decided to wait. He would wait a few more days. And if not, he would go to the one person he knew Loki would open his heart to; their mother, the Queen of Asgard, Frigga.

He hoped he did not have to involve her in all this. Frigga was a very perceptive mother, and he knew she had already noticed something was amiss with Loki. But he did not want to need to ask her to speak with Loki directly. For once, he would like it if his brother opened up directly to him.

The rest of the day the brothers spent separately, as per usual. Loki was still researching different types of offensive magic and Thor was polishing his skills as a fighter with his warriors. Life continued. And it is a curious thing how it does, wouldn't you think so? Both brothers, preparing for battle. One of them knowingly, another unbeknownst to the evil that lurked around the corner. It was a good thing they trained, for this evil would reach them sooner than one of them had hoped.

That same day, in the late afternoon, a guard came to deliver a message from the King to them. Simultaneously, both brothers received the same message, which instructed them to meet their father and Heimdall at the Bifrost at once.

The brothers, obedient as ever to their King's orders, did as told and met each other again at the entrance of the Bifrost. One of the brothers was intrigued, but not alarmed, perhaps maybe even a bit bothered by the interruption, which he believed was surely of no importance. The other brother was anxious, and I believe we can all guess why that is.

Thor however, did not know, and he was about to ask his brother why he looked so unhealthily pale when the All Father demanded their silence and attention.

"I have called you here because of a most urgent matter. I have called the warrior Hogun as well to join us. I believe that what I have to say will be of importance to him."

That moment Hogun walked in and greeted Thor with the same respect as always. But it was obvious to the Norse prince that Hogun also didn't know what the matter was all about.

"Well, father, you have us all gathered here, please tell us what this urgent matter is about."

The All Father stayed silent for a few seconds and looked at each of them individually, and it seemed to Thor that his eyes dwelled the longest on Loki.

"As you all surely are aware of, the realm of Vanaheim has always been a constant target for the evil force of the Marauders, the realm has been able to enjoy a period of relative peace thanks to our forces and Heimdall keeping an ever-long watch over them. It seems that the Marauders never fully learn their lesson. Heimdall, tell them what you have seen.

Heimdall made a small bow in Odin's direction and began to convey the news.

"Merely hours ago I saw a fleet of Marauders over the realm of Vanaheim, it seems they are trying to invade the realm once more. The fleet is of considerable size, but seems to be of reconnaissance only. I fear a much bigger fleet might head for Vanaheim soon."

"Now you understand why I wanted you to be present here, Hogun. Thor, Loki." Odin called his sons with authority. "I want you to take the Warrior's Three and Lady Sif to Vanaheim. Take control of the situation until I can send our men."

"You have my thanks, All Father, for calling me here today. I am more than ready to go and liberate Vanaheim once more from those foul creatures." Hogun's determination was obvious, and so was Thor's.

The Norse Prince felt the flame of valour lit inside him. Finally, he would get to show those vile Marauders their place in the Universe. Not only was he eager to fight, but this would be his chance to fight side-by-side with his brother again. He felt this would be the perfect chance to get close to his brother again.

"Father, leave it to us, we will lead the armies of Asgard and ensure their victory, isn't that so Loki? Loki?"

Only now did Thor realize how pale Loki had gotten at the news of the mission. He had not said anything and was simply looking down.

"Loki?"

He seemed to snap back to reality at the sound of his brother's voice and looked at him with such an amount of grief as Thor had never seen in his brother's eyes. This only lasted a second though as Loki got his emotions under control again. He was so good at that.

"Yes… Yes indeed. We will head to Vanaheim. What could possibly go wrong?"

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**And from now on things will start to get truly interesting! Please look forward to the next chapter!**

**- Jay**


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